War Profiteers

New website: War on West Papua (and launch event!)

Andrew — Tue, 21 Jun 2022 09:45:33 +0000

21 Jun 2022

We are excited to share news of a new website, called War on West Papua. The website identifies a wide-range of weapons and military equipment used by the Indonesian security forces in their ongoing occupation of West Papua.

We hope you will go and take a look at the website, and join us for an online launch event on July 6th at 9am UTC (10am in London, 11am in Brussels, 4pm in Jakarta, 6pm in Jayapura, 7am in Melbourne) - you can register for this webinar here.

During the launch webinar we will hear directly from friends in West Papua who are experiencing the impact of these weapons sales. We will connect with international solidarity activists who are already targeting the war profiteers profiled on our site. There will be plenty of time for your input and discussion about how we can up the ante in our anti-militarist work.

The website:

Identifies dozens of companies profiting from the supply of weapons and equipment to the Indonesian military, with a clear profile of the company
Profiles various branches of the Indonesian security apparatus and identifies which weapons they use
Provides a snapshot of West Papuans’ experience of and resistance to militarism
Allows users to submit their own evidence of equipment being used in a particular incident

International solidarity

The project has been a collaboration between War Resisters’ International, Wage Peace, based in Australia, Make West Papua Safe and a coalition of other peace and human rights organisations. We are also grateful to the many other organisations who have helped us to identify equipment or provided information on their own country’s exports. Together we have identified some of the vast arsenal of weapons available to the Indonesian police and military which are used to quell popular protest, attack isolated communities, and maintain a hold on key economic resources. The Indonesian police and military are routinely responsible for human rights abuses of West Papuans.

We want this website to serve as a small act of solidarity with those struggling for peace and dignity in West Papua. We also hope activists taking action against the arms trade around the world will use this resource to further their campaigns against arms companies in their own context, increase their understanding of the impact of the arms trade to Indonesian in West Papua, and include West Papua in their narratives and campaigns. We invite you all to join the campaign that accompanies War on West Papua, by using the hashtag #PeaceInPapua when you take action at the companies and institutions that supply Indonesian militarism.

Programmes & Projects

Nonviolence War Profiteers

Countries

Indonesia West Papua

Theme

Police militarisation

Police militarisation theme

Resistance Who profits? Equipment, training and tactics Racism and citizenship

Italian shotgun shells used against protesters in Iran

Andrew — Fri, 16 Dec 2022 11:27:10 +0000

16 Dec 2022

Warning: article contains injury detail some may find distressing.

An investigation by France24 has found evidence that shotgun cartridges manufactured in Italy and France by the company Cheddite have been used by Iranian security forces against protesters. The investigation found evidence of the use of the cartridges in cities across Iran, including Tehran, Yazd, Karaj, Rasht, Shiraz, and Mahabad.

The cartridges were originally manufactured for hunting purposes, and appear to have been exported first to Turkey and then to Iran. Turkey is not a member of the European Union and is not bound by the EU's export controls.

Cheddite has manufacturing facilities in France and Italy. The company produces empty shell cases with a metal base and primer, which is then sold to other companies who fill the case with an explosive powder and pellets.

The Guardian has shared details of the devastating injuries that have been experienced by protesters in Iran, including shotgun fire to women's breasts, genitals and faces. Amnesty International have said at least 13 people have been killed with shotguns in Iran since 16th September, and the wider death toll is in the hundreds.

Programmes & Projects

War Profiteers

Countries

Iran Italy France

Theme

Police militarisation

Police militarisation theme

Repression of protest Equipment, training and tactics

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War Profiteer Profile: CNO-Tech

Andrew — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 09:43:29 +0000

The CNO-Tech STARK tear gas launcher

16 Sep 2022

CNO Tech is a South Korean arms company, who manufacturer a range of equipment of weapons for military and law enforcement use, including single and multi-shot “riot” launchers, vehicle-mounted launcher systems, stun grenades, flash bangs, CS gas grenades, foam impact munitions, and various types of armour and shields. The company also manufacturers practice munitions for the military and police. According to the company’s website they were established in 1997 and has offices listed in Seoul, as well as manufacturing facilities in eastern the Gyongsangbuk-do region of Korea.

Relatively little information is publicly available about this CNO Tech, but they are listed as an exhibitor at the 2022 DX Korea arms fair, which is due to take place in September 2022, and has also been identified at other arms fairs, including IndoDefence in 2014 and at MILIPOL in Paris in 2013.

CNO Tech is understood by WRI’s affiliate in South Korea – World Without War - to have sold its products to a wide range of oppressive regimes, including Turkey, Bangladesh, Togo, Indonesia, Bahrain, Oman and Sri Lanka. In 2013, CNO Tech were identified as one of a number of South Korean companies who had exported millions of rounds of tear gas to Turkey, where they were heavily used by the Turkish police to subdue protests.

The Omega Research Foundation, Bradford Non-Lethal Weapons Research Project, and Dr Michael Crowley, profiled the CNO Tech “STARK” 38/40mm launcher in their 2015 report “Tear Gassing by Remote Control”. The report includes correspondence with the company which suggests that the launcher “can’t aim any target precisely – not like a hand-held launcher or a water cannon”. The weapon has a range of 180m.

Programmes & Projects

War profiteer companies War Profiteers

Countries

Korea, South Turkey Bahrain

Theme

Police militarisation

Police militarisation theme

Equipment, training and tactics Who profits?

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Belgian court hears arguments to end arms export to Turkey

cmoy — Wed, 22 Dec 2021 11:06:46 +0000

Activists protesting in front of the Palace of Justice in Brussels

22 Dec 2021

Author(s)

Vredesactie (Acción por la Paz)

Activists demand better control on end use of Flemish arms exports

Today a Belgian civil court will hear the arguments by a coalition of NGOs to end the export of military components to the Turkish air force. Earlier this year Vredesactie and CNAPD, supported by Amnesty International Belgium, sued the Flemish government for its involvement in the production of the Turkish A400M military transport planes. Turkey uses these planes to fuel conflicts across the region and violate international arms embargoes.

The NGOs Vredesactie and CNAPD, supported by Amnesty International Belgium, filed a lawsuit against the Flemish government earlier this year. The organisations want the Flemish government to stop the export of components for Turkish military aircraft. Today their plea will be heard in the Belgian Tribunal of First Instance.

"The Flemish government is acting in violation of the Flemish arms trade decree by allowing transfers of military technology to Turkey, despite evidence that this violates international arms embargoes. We hope that the court will force the Flemish government to stop these exports", say the organisations.

Since 2013, the Flemish arms companies Asco Industries, Sabca Limburg and Du Pont de Nemours have been supplying parts of the engine, wings and landing gear of the Turkish A400M military transport aircraft. This aircraft plays an important role in the supply of weapons and mercenaries to the armed conflicts in Libya, Syria and Azerbaijan, which violates international arms embargoes on those countries. Earlier this year, a report by the United Nations panel of experts documented 34 flights by Turkish A400Ms to Libya in violation of the UN arms embargo.

Protest at the court

Activists gathered during the court session and unfurled a banner at the Palace of Justice in Brussels. They demanded an end to arms exports to conflict areas and stricter controls on the end use of Flemish arms exports.

"The Flemish government chooses to export weapons without knowing the actual end-user, which fuels conflicts and jeopardizes the right to life", the organisations say.

The Flemish arms industry mainly produces high-tech components. These components are primarily exported to other European member states, the United Kingdom and the United States, where they are integrated into larger weapons systems. Last week, 15 Belgian civil society organisations launched an open letter to the Flemish government to urgently improve end-use controls.

The court ruling is expected in early 2022.

Author information

Vredesactie (Peace Action) is a Belgian pluralistic movement that makes a radical plea for a society in which conflicts are settled without violence or the threat to use violence. Vredesactie supports the development of grassroots non-violent action and formulate proposals for a pacifist policy.

Programmes & Projects

Nonviolence War Profiteers Front Page

Countries

Belgium Turkey

Theme

arms trade

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New resource: the Database of Israeli Military and Security Export

Andrew — Fri, 12 Feb 2021 11:09:23 +0000

12 Feb 2021

A new database of Israeli military and security exports – www.dimse.info - has been launched. The new database, developed by the American Friends Service Committee, is a tool for journalists, academics, campaigners, and other civil society actors critical of Israel’s arms export and its effect on human rights around the world.

DIMSE gathers information about Israeli military and security exports listing information by country, by weapons, and by companies. The database presents information about Israeli military and security exports between the years 2000-2020. Beside a detailed list of arms deals for each country, the database analyses the economic and military relations with Israel and shows how Israeli arms were used in the different countries. It also collected instances of human rights violations committed with Israeli arms both in Israel, and by the receiving countries. Among the 46 countries that have been investigated in the database you can find Myanmar, Sri Lanka, India, Azerbaijan, South Sudan, Morocco, Mexico, Colombia, Germany and many more. For example, by combining different information and sources, the database shows how drones that were used by the Israeli air force in Gaza and were involved in the killing of Palestinian civilians, were presented later as “combat-proven” and then sold to different countries, among them, countries that are involved in multiple violations of human rights.

Israel is one of the world’s major exporters of military equipment. In 2019, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) ranked Israel as the 8th largest arms exporter in the world. According to different reports, Israel has sold arms to over 130 countries over the past few decades, most of them are unknown to the public. The new database includes data on 46 counties, and more will be updated in the future.

Contact person: JHempel@afsc.org

Programmes & Projects

War Profiteers

Countries

Israel

Theme

arms trade small arms Police militarisation

Police militarisation theme

Equipment, training and tactics

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How banks, insurers and pension funds finance the business of war in Spain

Andrew — Mon, 02 Nov 2020 13:31:15 +0000

02 Nov 2020

A new report from the Centre d’Estudis per la Pau, published as part of the Armed Banking Campaign, identifies for the first time insurers and pension funds that invest in arms companies.
The ranking of "armed banks" in Spain continues to be led by BBVA, Santander, ING, Deutsche Bank, Banco Sabadell, Bankia and Caixabank.

According to a new report published by Centre d’Estudis per la Pau to analyse the way banks, pension funds and insurers are funding the arms industry, the total financing to the arms industry by financial institutions operating in Spain reached nearly €11,969 million between the years 2014 and 2019. The largest armed banks operating in Spain are again BBVA, Santander, ING, Deutsche Bank, Banco Sabadell, Bankia and Caixabank.

BBVA and Santander stand out, because their financing of the arms sector represents 62% of the total Spanish market.

The report highlights two arms companies with a well-known track record in the military sector for different reasons: Indra in terms of the development of technological products and services used on missiles and warplanes for border control and surveillance products; and Maxam, a major ammunition company with a clear business relationship with Saudi Arabia.

This information is confirmed by the new report published by the Centre Delàs d'Estudis per la Pau published within the framework of the Armed Banking campaign that not only analyses armed banks in Spain, but also investigates the financing of weapons by insurers and pension funds for the first time. The report can be found (in Spanish) here: http://centredelas.org/publicacions/informe-45-del-centre-delas-asseguradores-i-fons-de-pensions-que-financien-empreses-darmes-actualitzacio-de-la-banca-armada-a-espanya-2020/?lang=es

Insurers and armed pension funds

"After 14 years of research and actions on the financing of the armaments sector, we have considered it necessary to analyse the relations between the other major pillar of the financial system, the insurance and pension funds sector, and the arms industry. What investments are made with the large sums that we accumulate with our premiums or our contributions to a pension plan?" asks Eduardo Aragón, member of the Centre Delàs, integrated into the Armed Banking campaign and author of the report.

Among the insurers that operate in Spain and have financed the most arms production are Cardiff Assurance, AXA, BBVA Seguros, Santander Seguros, Allianz, MetLife, Intensa SanPaolo Life, AIG, Aegon, Liberty Seguros, March Vida, BanSabadell Seguros i Vida, VidaCaixa, and SegurCaixa Adeslas, Mapfre (through Bankia) and Línea Directa. The 26 "armed insurers" operating in Spain accumulate, directly or through the banks to which they belong, a total of 29.767 million euros in arms financing.

The report also identifies armed employment pension plans, which are led by market share by Caixabank, BBVA, Ibercaja, Fonditel, Santander, Bankia, Banco Sabadell, Abanca Vida y Pensiones, Liberbank, Mutua Madrileña, Axa Pensions. Jordi Calvo, coordinator of the Centre Delàs, member of the campaign and author of the report, stresses that "the result is strong. Not only do we finance arms companies through our current accounts, our term deposits of the sale of shares and bonds, but we are also helping decisively to the expansion of the arms sector with the contracting of personal insurance (of life, health, ...), of damages (vehicle, theft, fires, ...), or of provision of services (of assistance in travel, of funerals, ...) and through pension plans."

Programmes & Projects

War Profiteers

Countries

Spain (State of)

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USA develops "new" type of fragmentation bomb

Andrew — Mon, 14 Sep 2020 11:13:53 +0000

14 Sep 2020

The US air force has tested a new non-exploding fragmentation bomb, which it claims may be used as a "less-hazardous alternative" to cluster bombs. The BLU-136 Next Generation Area Attack Weapon is a 2,000 pound munition made of cast iron, which fragments better than steel, and contains a large number of "fragmentation packs" - steel cubes packed into the device. When the bomb explodes the shell and fragmentation packs produce a "cloud of deadly, but inert shrapnel" capable of cutting through people as well as light vehicles and structures. The military has signed a seven-year contract worth $600m with the US company Major Tool & Machine and Faxon Machining to produce up to 15,000 of the weapons.

Technology experts have described how this "new technology" is very similar to weapons designed in 1784, when Henry Shrapnel designed a shell made of cast iron and filled with gunpowder and musket balls. The shell was designed to explode in mid air, raining musket balls on the target.

Programmes & Projects

War Profiteers

Countries

United States of America

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Eurosatory should be closed for good – and for the good of the world

Andrew — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 09:47:40 +0000

People protest the Eurosatory arms fair

30 Jun 2020

Author(s)

Stop Fuelling War

What does real security mean? Lessons coronavirus has taught us.

This week marks the non-opening of the world's largest arms fair - Eurosatory - in Paris. Despite the impressive array of fabulously rich backers who look forward to this biennial showcase for the latest and most sophisticated offerings in death and destruction, the salon has been cancelled. Even the avid support of the French government, plus the world’s largest arms companies and their enthusiastic national governments, not to mention the manifold ancillary enterprises which piggy-back on the sale of weapons, could not withstand the risk of coronavirus spreading among the 58,000 visitors and nearly 6,000 international exhibitors. If arms sales know no borders, then neither does a pandemic virus.

Yes to security - but whose?

This cancellation is particularly ironic, given that massively expensive weapons production and tradeare supposedly justified by their contribution to our security. However, when the immediate threat arrived in the form of a deadly virus, its rapid spread faced little opposition since most governments were so unprepared. Why, you might ask, since a pandemic had already been predicted a decade ago and much more recently by several epidemiologists? But governments ignored the warnings because they were fixated on delivering a different sort of security - one predicated on the availability of highly sophisticated weaponry. By spending huge amounts of money on so-called defence, those in power were certain that they could keep us safe from attack by unspecified enemies.

Certainly, no one imagined that the world's most powerful economies could be so easily dismantled without a shot being fired and by so intangible an opponent. Hardly any foresaw that it was a robust and well-funded health service - and not state-of-the-art fighter jets - that would be essential to deal effectively with the terrible fallout. After all, they reasoned, there could be no real urgency or reason to ensure the provision of adequate health facilities needed to deal with a pandemic. Crucial emergency hospital beds or decent grade hospital equipment seemed too far-fetched a demand compared with the immediacy of listening to the arms lobbyists. Far more urgent was the goal of supporting weapons production and ensuring its prosperity. So defence budgets flourished at the expense of health. As we know, the death toll in France exceeded 29,000 on 8th June - the same day that Eurosatory was supposed to open its doors to welcome the world's arms dealers.

Covid-19, Covid-19, the invisible enemy that weapons can’t kill

Try to imagine what the outcome could have been if even a part of the 'defence' budget had been spent on the health sector! How many doctors and nurses could have been trained for the price of only ONE €97M Dassault Rafale fighter jet? How many extra essential items of equipment, emergency hospital beds, etc. could have been purchased? How much more could have been done to ensure better conditions in care homes (maisons de repos) so that fewer elderly people died before their time? What if some of the defence research budget had been spent on researching the family of coronaviruses, perhaps enabling a vaccine to have been developed early on and lives - not to mention the economy - saved? Ask the domestic abuse victims of the covid-19 lockdowns if they would prefer more spending on armaments to safe shelters that would provide a refuge from a violent home?

A price worth paying?

In the end, how many French citizens, especially the relatives of those who died unnecessarily because of inadequate provision or care, feel that spending on weapons was a worthwhile sacrifice? We need to ask: against what and whom were the armaments supposed to be defending us? Yet hardly has the first wave of covid-19 started to recede than the arms lobby is again agitating for increased expenditure, especially for the European Defence Fund in which France is a major player.

Covid-19 and economic recovery: why focus on arms production?

There has been so much propaganda about how the arms industry is essential to employment creation that hardly anyone questions its validity. Yet few governments are willing to say just how many jobs the industry actually provides. Why is this? If the arms industry really were a major employer and contributor to a nation's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as is claimed, should governments not be delighted to share the news with the electorate? Apparently not. Data are shrouded in secrecy, usually on the grounds of 'national security'. Around 300,000 are employed in the aeronautics industry and ancillary services, but this figure includes the dominant civil aviation sector. So how are we to believe, much less verify, the dubious claim that defence is a big employer?

Nonetheless, the French Defence Ministry has just announced a new €15 BN support package for the aerospace industry. Otherwise, he says, 100,000 jobs would be lost. How much of that total is destined for armaments is hidden but the government has also announced that they will bring forward existing orders for military equipment.

Creating employment in other sectors

As countries gradually emerge from lockdown, the biggest economic challenge facing governments is how to deal with unemployment. In the absence of reliable data proving that the arms industry is a major employer, it's hard to justify huge subsidies if the goal is to maximise employment. Experts will tell you that economies dependent on a few large enterprises concentrated in limited sectors can be a recipe for disaster when it comes to fast economic recovery, largely because an economy based on smaller companies tends to be more flexible, adaptable and responsive - and to create more new jobs.

Is continuously subsidising arms production the best way to a healthy economy?

Generally speaking, perpetually subsiding any large industry leads to an inefficient distribution of resources. The influential arms lobby has been demanding huge government subsidies to ensure continuing employment. But why favour unwieldy arms companies which can't adapt readily to a post-covid-19 world? If maximising employment as fast as possible is the goal, there are other much more socially useful industries which could flourish with lower initial financial support from government. Although EU competition rules forbid subsidies for national industries, defence remains an expensive exception. In the longer run, an economy which has a significant proportion of small and medium-sized companies would be more likely to survive economic chaos without the consant need for huge government subsidies. It's always remarkable that those who trumpet the benefits of a free market economy are mute when challenged on welfare payments for the defence industry.

What is real security?

How many unnecessary coronavirus-type deaths will it take for us to understand that our real security CANNOT and MUST NOT depend solely on an arsenal of weapons? When will we acknowledge that when faced with the most devastating real threat in recent history, we were all but helpless? Ensuring real security necessitates including a range of life-enhancing policies. No government is so powerful that it can afford to continuously ignore the true needs of its people: social welfare, healthcare, economic stability, employment, climate justice. But we can’t achieve these goals without diverting funds from bloated ‘defence’ budgets, which ultimately proved powerless against an unexpected tiny silent killer.

Author information

Programmes & Projects

Front Page War Profiteers

Countries

France

Theme

Covid-19

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#MadeInEurope - online action against arms sales to Saudi

Andrew — Fri, 27 Mar 2020 10:32:06 +0000

Photo: Agir pour la Paix/Twitter

27 Mar 2020

On Wednesday 25th March - the fifth anniversary of the beginning of the Saudi-led coalitions war in Yemen - people across Europe have used social media to protest against arms sales to Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and other countries involved in the conflict. Since the beginning of the war, billions of euros worth of arms have been transported, and the coalition is using weapons made across Europe, including the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and Belgium. The online action was organised by the European Network Against Arms Trade (ENAAT), of which WRI and several of our affiliates are members.

For a summary of some of the companies profiting from the war, see this article in War Profiteers News: https://wri-irg.org/en/story/2020/who-arms-saudi-coalition

5 ans de guerre au Yémen: L'Europe complice. https://t.co/N9ZdNBVwDi #StopArmingSaudi #madeineurope pic.twitter.com/zBrLAgg0SK

— Agir Pour la Paix (@agirpourlapaix_) March 25, 2020

Today marks 5 years since the beginning of the war in Yemen, call on your governments to stop their involvement in the deaths of civilians @stopfuellingwar
@_ENAAT
#stoparmingsaudi #WarInYemen #MadeInEurope pic.twitter.com/p7z2ddcwet

— Stop Fuelling War (@stopfuellingwar) March 25, 2020

Programmes & Projects

War Profiteers

Countries

Saudi Arabia Yemen

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Belgium: activists successfully stop Saudi arms ship from docking in Antwerp

Andrew — Mon, 03 Feb 2020 09:52:14 +0000

Activists set up a weapons checkpoint at the port of Antwerp. Photo: Vredesactie

03 Feb 2020

Activist in Belgium have successfully stopped a Saudi ship transporting weapons from the US, Canada and Europe from docking in the port of Antwerp.

Now also confirmed by the Bahri website. The Yanbu is not coming to the port of Antwerp. Protest works!#NoWeaponsBeyondThisPoint #StopArmingSaudi pic.twitter.com/tL6bUS2y6o

— Vredesactie vzw (@Vredesactie) February 2, 2020

On Saturday 1st February, as the Saudi arms ship the "Bahri Yanbu" approached the port, fifty citizen weapons inspectors set up a checkpoint and stopped trucks to inspect them for weapons. Trucks that confirmed they were not carrying weapons were given the label: “arms-free truck” and were allowed to enter. The ship is known to transport military equipment to Saudi Arabia for use in the war in Yemen. As well as Antwerp, the Bahri Yanbu is expected to visit the ports of Bremerhaven, Germany; Tilbury Docks, UK; Cherbourg, France; and Genoa, Italy.

Dutch media sources confirmed that the Bahri Yanbu wouldn't be docking in Antwerp, and that the Dutch authorities had threatened to remove items of cargo from the ship, and had even threatened the "monster fines" and even jail sentences if the ship entered the port. The spokesperson from the company also confirmed that the cargo on the ship was destined for the Saudi military.

Around fifty citizen weapons inspectors controlled trucks driving into the port of Antwerp to check them for weapons. In 2018 and 2019, more than 50 tonnes of explosives and ammunitions were picked up by Bahri ships with Saudi Arabia as their destination. Protests and legal action were also successful in stopping some shipments from being loaded onto the vessel.

“The port of Antwerp is a logistical hub for arms exports to the war in Yemen”, Bram Vranken from the peace organisation Vredesactie says. “War Crime Inspectors are making sure that no weapons will reach the docks today”. Vredesactie is also began legal proceedings alongside other organisations CNAPD, Ligue des Droits Humains and Amnesty International against the Belgian government, demanding a six month moratorium to arms shipments to Saudi Arabia. The Belgian courts rejected the demand. In 2019 several export licenses were already canceled by the Belgian Conseil d’Etat as the Walloon government hadn’t taken into account the violations of international humanitarian law when granting its licenses. The organisations are now trying to end all arms exports to Saudi Arabia.

“International and Belgian arms export rules are very clear. Weapons should not be exported if there is a risk that these will used in human rights violations. If our governments are not willing to stop the export of weapons to Saudi Arabia, we have no other choice than do it ourselves.”, Vranken states.

More than 100,000 people have lost their lives in the war in Yemen, now in its fifth year. Famine caused by the Saudi naval blockade endangers the lives of more than 17 million people. The UN calls it the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. According to the United Nations all actors involved in the war have committed grave violations against international law in Yemen.

Programmes & Projects

Front Page War Profiteers

Countries

Belgium Saudi Arabia Yemen